Elevator



(No Model.)

G. H. REYNOLDS. ELEVATOR.

Patented Sept. 1

3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.) 3 She'etsSheet 2.

G. H. REYNOLDS.

. ELEVATOR. No. 545,980. Patented Sept. 10, 1895.

l1 l t (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

G. H. REYNOLDS.

ELEVATOR Patented Sept. 10, 1895. I Iz 'c 6.

B Q @\.,IrHr0 m I M WM H MIJHM M m w NI'IE STATES GEORGE H. REYNOLDS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y. AssIGNoE T THE CRANE ELEVATOR COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

ELEVATOR,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 545,980, dated September 10, 1895.

Application filedDe'cember 22,1892. Serial No. 456,093. (No mod l.)

To aZZ whom it m ay concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE I-I. REYNOLDS, a citizen of the United States, residing inthe city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elevators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of elevating apparatus in which the cage or platform is operated by the movement of a plunger which is forced from the cylinder by the introduction of water under pressure therein; and my invention consists in certain improvements in the construction of the apparatus of this character as fully set forth hereinafter, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical elevation of sufficient of an elevator apparatus to illustrate my improvement; Fig. 2, a view of the lower part of the apparatus, somewhat enlarged; Fig.3,

- a sectional view of the upper head; Fig. 4,

'an exterior View ofthe upper head; Fig. 5,

a sectional view of the lower head, and Fig. 6 an exterior view of the lower head.

In that class of elevating apparatus in which vertical cylinders and plungers have been employed, it has been customary to use cylinders equal in length to the travel of the car and generally'to so construct the parts that the plunger shall move upward through the upper head of the cylinder, the latter being buried to a greater or less extent in the earth below the foundation. This necessitates cylinders of undue length, limits the application of the apparatus to "low structures, and requires expensive boring and renders it difficult to get access to parts of the apparatus at times when it is very desirable to do so, to avoid which I invert the apparatus so that the plunger will pass through the lower head of the cylinder, and I suspend the latter in such an elevated position within the well that the lower head connected with the plunger may have its movements between the lower end of the cylinder and the level of the foundation without the necessity of boring below the latter, and I connect this head with multiplyingsheaves carrying the suspension-cables. In

order to avoid the expense of boring out the entire cylinder,I make the latter in the form of a tube 13 of ordinary drawn metal with two cast-metal heads A A, which may be of iron, I

bronze, or other suitable material, and provide means whereby the said heads may be bolted each to one of the cross-beams 20 or other fixtures adjacent to or in the well.

In orderto aid in resisting the strains from the weight of the cage, when the same is being lifted, by the downward movement of the plunger, I tie the lower head A to the foundation through the medium of two bolts 31, each of which has a head that is anchored in the foundation andis bolted or otherwise fastened to'the head A at the upper end, and I make use of these bolts 31 as guides for the lower cross-head 2. The lower cross-head 2 is connected with an upper cross-head 21 through the medium of tie-rods 8 8, and to the upper cross-head 21 is connected thestrap that supports the series of movable multiplying-pulleys E, the stationary multiplying-pulleys F being suitably supported in line with the movable pulleys, and around both sets of pulleys passes the suspensory-cable a, which extends over guide-pulleys to the cage X. Wherever a counterbalance is required, the same may be applied effectively by extending the tierods 8 8 below the cross-head 2 so as to support any suitable number of detachable weigh ts W.

I'Ieretofore in this class of apparatus the water or other fluid passing into or out of the port communicating with the cylinder has been choked or throttled in some way, in order to reduce the speed and energy of movement of the plunger as the latter reaches the limit of its motion in either direction. This necessitates the employment of devices that are apt, under certain circumstances, tobecome more or less inefficient and sometimes absolutely ineifectual, and I therefore provide means whereby the speed and energy of the movement may be automatically reduced as the plunger reaches the limit of its movements in either direction without depending upon the flow of the water to or from the inlet or outlet port. Thus I bore out the two heads A A so as to form two chambers 00 y, each of which is tapering, the former toward its upper portion and the latter toward its lower portion, and with the chamber y communicates the pipe 5, leading to the inlet and outlet port z,

the How of water under pressure to the pipe 5 and its discharge through the said pipe, accordingly as the cage is to be elevated or lowered, being regulated by any suitable valve controlled from the cage in a manner which it is not necessary here to explain.

I provide the upper end of the plunger 1 with a head, 22, the diameter of which is equal to that of the smallest diameter of the charmbers 00 y, so that as the head 22 enters either one of the chambers m y the said head can only ascend or descend in proportion as the water escapes from said chamber around the space between the edge of the head and the side of the chamber.- As the sides of the chambers 00 y taper, it will be evident that the passage through which the water can escape as the head 22 moves into the chamber will gradually become more and more contracted, so that there will be gradually more and more resistance to the movement of the water and of the plunger. When the plunger reaches the limit of its movement into either chamber or y, it will practically completely close the latter, so that it is necessary to permit water to pass into the chamber beyond the head 22 before the latter can be withdrawn without producing a vacuum, for which reason I provide the cylinder with a channel in the head A, and a channel 9 in the head A, which channels are outside of the bore of the cylinder and communicate therewith, the channel 80, near the top of the head A and near the lower end of the latter, and the channel 9 with the lower end of the head A and with the port a, so that when the head 22 is at the limit of its movement in either direction there will always be a means for admitting the water between the head 22 and the end of the chamber.

In order to prevent the water from passing too rapidly through the channel 9, as the head 22 passes below the upper portion of the head A, I provide means for regulating the dimensions of the channelas, for instance, by means of a screw-valve 4, which extends into the channel and which may be set either to close the latter or to open it to any desired extent, so as to regulate the amount of flow of water through the channel.

After the plunger reaches the limit of its downward motion, the weight of the cage will start it upward whenever the main valve is adjusted to permit this motion; but when the head 22 is at the top of the chamber 00 and it is desirable to lift the cage and its contained weight, the admission of water under pressure to the pipe .2 will not act with sufficient force to start the said head and plunger downward with the requisite degree of speed if the water passes through a restricted opening. At the same time it is necessary to restrict the said opening, so as to prevent the plunger from ascending to the limit of its upward movement too rapidly. This restriction of the motion is effected by means of a plug-valve 10 obstructing the channel 80, the same as in the case of the channel 9, but that the pressure may be brought against the end of the plunger to force it downward, I provide a valve which will act under such pressure to open the channel 80 to a greater extent to permit the requisite flow of water to the top of the plunger. For this reason I provide a by-passage 13, to which is fitted a check-valve 14, supported by an adjustable-plug 16, so as to limit the throw of the valve to any desired extent, and when water under pressure is admitted to the cylinder B and flows upward through the channel 8 it will lift the valve 14: and pass freely to the top of the plunger, while when the latter moves upward toward the end of its mo tion the water passing from above the plunger will circulate through the channel 80, will close the valve 14 against its seat, and will be throttled by the action of the said valve 10 to the desired extent.

It will be evident that any desirable arrangement of ports and channels and any selfacting valve of any suitable construction may be substituted for those shown in the drawings, which are examples of one means of permitting the water to pass downward through the throttled channel 8 and upward through a passage of greater area.

In order to facilitate the fitting of the valves, I prefer to form the channels 80 9 partly in the cylindrical portions of the heads A A and partly in detachable casings d d, and in which casings the valves are fitted. This permits the comparatively-small casings to be readily manipulated in machining the parts.

By forming the chambers 00 y, in compar- I atively-small heads A A, while the body of the cylinder consists simply of an ordinary drawn tube, I am enabled to greatly reduce the cost of the cylinder and of the expense of fitting, as the heads A A are the only parts that need to be finished or bored.

Without limiting myself to the precise construction and arrangement of parts set forth, I claim- The combination of the cylinder suspended above the foundation with the plunger eX- tending through the lower head of said cylinder, and movable sheaves carrying the suspensory attached to the cage, of a cross head at the lower end of the plunger, tie rods extending from the lower end of the cylinder to the foundation and serving as guides for the cross heads, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEO. H. REYNOLDS. Witnesses:

HENRY L. BRANT, OnARLns'E. FOSTER. 

